


The Ties That Binds

by AzTheDragon



Category: Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja
Genre: Cute Theresa crushing on Randy, Gen, More characters to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-06
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-02-28 09:33:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2727407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzTheDragon/pseuds/AzTheDragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Nomicon had told him that the Sorcerer would escape. What it could not foresee was how brutal the fight would be, leaving Randy to pay the consequences of that small mistake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Randy

**Author's Note:**

> My works have not been beta-readed, only controlled a couple of times by me, so errors are bound to appear here and there. Sorry for that.

“Someone, please..!”

“No-no-no...”

“Is... he going to be alright?”

“He's the Ninja... he can't...”

“He's still alive! Ninja, can you hear me?”

“Come on, Ninja! Don't give up!”

“Ninja!”

As the quiet darkness was pierced by the cacophony of voices coming from everywhere around him, Randy became aware of how much pain he was in. It was as if a bus-sized lawnmower had trampled all over him several times, breaking bones and causing painful lacerations on his body, then parked itself on top of his chest, making it extremely hard to breathe.

It was a horrible feeling that he wished on no one, not even the Sorcerer, the same man that had caused him all this pain.

With a soft groan, Randy forced his eyes to open just enough to see what was going around him. Everything was blurred and slightly darkened, but he could still make out the shapes of all the people surrounding him like some sort of giant and colorful crown. He found it strangely beautiful, yet sad at the same time because all those people were crying.

He wondered if Howard was with them, if he was still hiding somewhere or if he was blaming the Nomicon for putting his best friend through such a fight. Randy had no idea where the ancient book was at the moment, probably lost somewhere during the intense battle against the Sorcerer, but as he thought about it, the need to know of its fate became pressing.

“No...micon...”

It was more of a whispered gurgle than anything else, but apparently it was enough to shush everyone into silence to listen to the single word he had uttered with his fading strength.

“Nomicon...”

There was a moment of pause, then someone in the crowd started to call out the name for him as loudly as they could. A couple of calls later and a second person joined in, then a third and a fourth until several dozen of voices filled the air.

Their calls were drowned only by a blaring siren and the screech of tires, but they didn't stop. They continued to call the name he had whispered, believing that it was a person and that it would come rushing to them if only they were loud enough. Randy would have chuckled in amusement if he wasn't so tired and so cold.

He didn't know when his eyes started to close, only that at one point someone was calling him again and again, trying to keep him awake.

When he finally thought that he was going to succumb to the numbing darkness, someone placed a hand on his chest. It was large, warm and it possessed some kind of buzzing energy to it that he could not describe with words. All he knew was that it was creating some weird resonance in his whole body, casting the cold numbness away and reawakening him to the pain once again.

Randy let out a strangled scream and forced his eyes open to look at who was causing him such torture when all he wanted was to rest, to find a little peace after a harsh battle. It actually took him a few seconds to see past the blurriness enough to recognize the ancient samurai mask staring down at him.

He had no idea how the Nomicon had gained a corporeal form other than that of the book, nor he cared. All that mattered to him was that it was there with him.

“You did well, Ninja,” the voice was just as Randy remembered it. Powerful. Awe-inspiring. Yet with that tone of caring in it that belonged to a wise teacher and, Randy would never admit it to anyone, a caring father that he never had. “You can rest now.”

The Nomicon slightly bowed and it was all Randy needed to know that the ancient spirit was proud of him, that he had done good despite screwing up in the last bit and getting himself hurt so badly.

“Thanks...” it was all that Randy could say.

A single word to express his gratitude for everything the Nomicon had done for him. For all the lessons, for its patience when he messed up, for forgiving him every time and for just being there. Randy would always be grateful, no matter if he could never really express it into words.

The world started to fade and Randy could not keep his eyes open anymore. They were just too heavy and he was way too tired to struggle with them. Not to mention that when the Nomicon hoisted him up into its large arms, it felt as if he was laying in his own bed.

Warm, comfortable and pain-free.

Randy would never have it any other way.


	2. NinjaNomicon

It was quiet. So eerily quiet that the giant form of the Nomicon halted in its steps to observe the muted crowd and the emotions displayed on the many faces looking at the Ninja.

Worry, fear, hope... the need to do something, no matter what, to help the hero that had saved them all on countless occasions...

Without realizing it, the Nomicon's big fingers twitched, clutching the motionless form of its student in a silent display of unwillingness to let them touch him. Perhaps it was overreacting, perhaps it was acting in a wrong way regarding the whole situation, yet, in its mind, the ancient spirit could not help it. The Ninja of Norrisville had been its responsibility for over eight hundred years, and that meant taking care of him no matter what the situation was.

Even burial was part of its duties.

Still, despite the centuries-old tradition, the Nomicon was not ready to lose this particular Ninja. Not when the boy had actively contributed to writing history as it was now. Without him, not only the Sorcerer would have won and reigned over a world filled with terror and chaos, but the First Ninja wouldn't have learned the most important lesson of all, nor he would have written his memories within its pages for Randy to learn from.

No, the Nomicon simply could not bring itself to let Randy Cunningham, _the_ Ninja, the _real_ successor of the First Ninja, go like that.

Ancient eyes that had seen so much in the past centuries looked down at the still boy, slightly turning him in its arms to expose a vicious slash across the left side of his chest that dwarfed all the other cuts. The Nomicon had far too much experience to believe that Randy could be saved through intensive surgery. Not when he had so little time left and had so many other internal and external injuries covering his small body.

But after so many centuries spent absorbing knowledge, the Nomicon knew of a way to ensure the boy would survive.

Despite its perfectly good intentions, however, the Nomicon could not force Randy into following its hastily-put-together plan. The boy had a right to know the truth and had to willingly chose what to do according to his beliefs and feelings. Even if it meant placing him in a position where he would chose to let himself die.

"Ninja..." The Nomicon chose to speak in Japanese, knowing that there were little to no chances of someone in the crowd knowing the foreign language. "For eight hundred years I have been in your debt. Now it is time for me to repay you."

The circle the ancient spirit drew on the ground with its large sword was nothing more than a ditch in the dirt, but the symbolic power it held would halt anyone from crossing it as if it was a solid barrier. Even the doctors, who had hastily been called into the scene, lingered just beyond the line, waiting for a sign to come in and take matters into their hands.

One more check at the Ninja and the Nomicon knew there was no more time to waste with internal debates and reminiscences. Randy, coaxed by exhaustion, injuries and blood loss, had stopped breathing altogether and his spirit was quickly fading into the darkness of oblivion.

Steeling its emotions and focusing its entire mind to the task it had set upon itself, the giant samurai figure sat down with its legs crossed and carefully placed the boy on the ground. Its armor shone with a golden light that became so bright that it felt like staring at the sun, forcing anyone that was looking to turn their heads away or shield their eyes with hands and arms.

But the Nomicon didn't care. Whatever was going on in the outside world had become irrelevant the moment it stretched its mind and soul to connect with those of the Ninja.

And so down they went, spiraling deeper and deeper within each other's mind to create a stable world that acted like a bridge connecting two separate lands, a place where they could communicate with each other when words in the real world could not be spoken.

It was because of this bridge, this connection with its student, that the Nomicon easily located Randy within the vastness that was their conjoined imaginations. The ancient spirit knew the boy was really smart when he wanted to be, so seeing him stare at the door of the Ultimate Lesson did not come as a surprise.

"That is not the door I hope you will choose, Ninja," the Nomicon spoke softly, hoping to not startle the boy. "For I do not wish, nor I am ready to give you such a lesson."

Randy slowly turned around, his body a perfect replica of the real one as it had been the exact moment he had been sucked within the strange world of their minds. Maybe his wounds were not bleeding, but they looked extremely painful and the Nomicon knew it was only thanks to his sheer will that he was still standing.

That, however, was something that came to an abrupt halt when the boy leaned against the wall and sank down to the ground, legs only half folded under his broken body. “I can feel it, Nomicon,” he whispered, voice strangely calm despite the terrible knowledge weighting on his tired mind. “I... don't have much left... and I don't want to... you know... leave without... giving you my memories. I don't...”

Randy reached up with a shaking hand and grabbed the mask, slowly slipping it away from his head. Mild surprise colored his face when he noticed that the suit didn't retract like it would always do, and he chuckled because, for some weird reason, he found that funny.

“I want to leave something important...” Randy whispered, hands shaking as he held onto the mask. “I want to make a difference... even if little.”

The Nomicon would have thrown some sort of frustrated tantrum if the situation wasn't so serious. Perhaps even yelled in his ear that, yes, he had already made a huge difference that was already part of history. But again, Randy was like that and he would take some time to fully realize he hadn't just fixed a mess he had caused.

No matter how frustrating it could be at times, the Nomicon would never change that personality trait with anything else, for it made Randy who he was.

“Although I do hope you will, I will not force you to accept the offer I am about to make, and I will personally accompany you through those doors if you so desire.” The Nomicon crouched down in front of the slumped boy, one hand going to support him when his strength finally faded away. “I must warn you. It is no blessing what I offer, but a curse. By sharing my own strength with you, you will live, but at the same time you will be precluded from being what society describe as normal.”

As Randy's sluggish mind struggled to comprehend the Nomicon's words, his sight blurred and slowly started to darken, making the large samurai appear only as a blotch of dark colors against the light browns of the corridor. That was when old and new memories filled his mind, barreling through his fading consciousness in the same way a freight train barreled down a straight path in the tracks. They were fast and unstoppable.

Him as a kid pretending to be the Ninja and battling it out with Howard using balloon swords, causing a mess in the process.

The growing happiness of knowing that he would soon attend Norrisville High and see the Ninja in action with his own eyes.

The summer spent playing Grave Punchers with Howard until their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.

 _You are the Ninja_.

The utter excitement of realizing that he had been chosen to be the hero he had always admired.

His first, fairly lame, fight against the Krakenstein.

Learning of the Sorcerer and how he took advantage of those too vulnerable to resist the corruption of his stank.

All the times he had to save the day, often sacrificing something of his own.

His biffer Howard, who was always there at his side no matter what happened and no matter the amount of fighting they went through.

That time he had accidentally released the Tengu, causing chaos, destruction and his friend to be possessed by the ancient bird demon.

All the skills and wisdom he had learned through trial and error from the Nomicon, often testing both of their patience.

And then meeting the legendary First Ninja and see him seal the Sorcerer inside his underground prison.

_You are the Ninja._

As his focus slowly slipped away from him, Randy was pretty sure that his time as the Ninja had been far more complicated than any other save for the First Ninja himself. He bet that the Nomicon had only marginally explained the Ninja's history to all the warriors chosen in the span of time that separated him from the last of the Norisu Clan.

And now that the Sorcerer was out of his hole, hidden somewhere and recovering from their violent battle, Randy could never put another through the same hurdle he and the First Ninja had gone through.

_A hero sacrifices all to save the day._

Those where the Nomicon's words that echoed in his barely conscious mind, giving Randy enough strength to force his mouth to move.

“You are him... in a way... so you should remember what I once said...” his voice was only barely above a whisper, yet it was perfectly understandable in the silence surrounding them. “We're Ninjas... we _never_ give up...”

Randy had no strength left to say any more, but he knew that there was no need. The eight hundred years old spirit had understood...

The offer had been accepted.


	3. Howard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder: My works have been reread and corrected at the best of my abilities. However, they are not betaed so errors, mispellings andweird phrasing might still be there.  
> That said, happy reading!

Everything felt surreal, _was_ surreal.

As he sat on the ground in a daze, Howard lost track of time. People moved around him, whispering, crying, and huddling together to find comfort.

But Howard didn't care about them. To him, those people felt as distant as an unreachable dream, almost as if they existed only as characters of a movie. There, yet not exactly there. All he could think about was how he had seen his best friend on the ground, laying in a growing puddle of his own blood with a broken and torn body.

Shocked to the core, the boy never realized Heidi walked up to him until she placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. His body shuddered at the contact, and he looked up at her with eyes filled with fear and emotional pain.

“Come on, Howard,” Heidi whispered, helping her younger brother up on his feet. “Let's go home. Mom and dad must be worried sick by now.”

At first Howard refused, wishing he could just sit where he was and wait, hoping that it had been a bad joke. Yet, no matter how much he wanted to stay, his sister started to push him towards her car.

“Heidi...” his voice was nothing more than a whisper that was almost drowned by the sounds coming from around them. “I...”

Whatever he was trying to say, though, did not get past his lips as Heidi pushed him once again. She wasn't being forceful, but her insistence was a distraction that he could not get rid of. Part of him was glad for it, because he forgot about the blood and the open wounds for a few moments. Yet another hated it with a passion because he was forgetting about his best friend.

“Heidi...” he tried again, finally finding enough strength in his legs to stop moving along the path. “Heidi, I have to go... I... he... I can't leave him alone.”

He was not sure why he felt the desperate need to go to the hospital. It wasn't as if being there would give Randy a better chance at surviving, and to be truthful his best friend wasn't alone at all. He had all the doctors and nurses that would take care of him. He would have his mother once they figured out who he was under the mask. And he had that stupid book.

But again, they were not Howard.

“Tell mom and dad I'm fine,” the younger Weinerman said, pulling his shoulder free from Heidi's hand by taking a step away from her. “Tell them to not worry.”

Before she could ask or stop him, Howard turned around and started to run as fast as his stubby little legs could carry him. He ignored his sister's cries. He ignored the confused gazes of the people he pushed past. He even ignored the stinging of his eyes and the weariness of his feet.

Nothing would stop him from being at his best friend's side.

Not even his sister's maniacal honking as she followed him in her car, screaming demands of where he was going and why.

By the time the hospital was in view, Howard was feeling like jelly. His run had slowed down a lot compared to when he started. His knees were shaking under his weight and his feet were even worse. If at the beginning they were hurting, now Howard felt as if he was running on hot iron spikes.

Still, he struggled with his own body and pushed past a few doctors and guards, ignoring their cries and their attempts to stop him. Heidi, having left her car in the parking lot, was right on his heels and was doing everything she could to reach him.

Heedless of the ruckus he was creating, the boy threw open the double doors and searched every corner for his best friend. Yet the confusion inside the emergency department was so overwhelming that Howard felt as lost as a wet puppy during a storm.

Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, the boy mentally cursed everything he could think of. He was so close, yet...

Then Heidi was standing right in front of him, her hands on her hips and glaring at him with all the anger and frustration she could muster.

“Howard Weinerman!” her voice would have been scary if it wasn't drowned by the surrounding confusion. “What has gotten into you? Running like that through half the city and ignoring me! Do you know how worried mom and dad are? They asked me to take you home so...”

The more she spoke, the more Heidi realized that there was something wrong with her brother. He was leaning against the nearby wall, his eyes darting left and right in search of something only he knew of.

“I can't go home, Heidi,” the boy replied before his sister could ask what was wrong. “I have to be here. I have to find him and make sure he is alright!”

For a moment the two remained in silence as Heidi tried to understand what her brother was saying. Then a sudden realization hit her and she almost gave a loud sigh. “Howard,” she placed a firm hand on his shoulder and looked at him in the eyes. “I'm sure everyone here has the situation under control even if it doesn't look like it. The Ninja is in good hands.”

Howard immediately shook his head, refusing any kind of comforting words. “No, Heidi! You don't know him like I do! The monsters, the robots... do you _really_ think they are the real problem?” the boy took a pause and watched as his sister became speechless. “Heidi, they are only the surface! There's so much worse out there, and if... if his secrets falls into the wrong hands...”

The boy shook his head once again and forced down the urge to cry. He placed a hand against his eyes and spent a few seconds focusing on breathing. It was a little trick Randy had taught him for when he needed to calm down. He would never admit it to his friend, but he felt better.

Taking one last deep breath, the boy looked straight into Heidi's eyes. “He's my friend, Heidi,” he said, willingly omitting the 'best' part to keep the Ninja's identity hidden. “I don't know what I can do, but I will not let anyone steal his secrets!”

And with those words heavy with meaning, the boy realized that his sister was not the only one listening to him.

He had no idea how or when the Nomicon's large form had walked up to them unnoticed. Yet, by whatever means it had used, the spirit was now standing right behind Heidi with its ancient samurai mask staring at him.

“Howard Weinerman,” it spoke, scaring Heidi and making Howard cringe. It was the first time that the ancient book was speaking to him directly, and it made the boy feel small. "We have often disagreed, but your loyalty and your willingness to protect our secrets do not go unnoticed.”

The giant samurai's figure was fizzling in and out of existence as it struggled to remain corporeal. It reminded Howard of a TV with horrible reception. Despite that though, the ancient spirit stood straight and its presence was as imposing as it had been when it first appeared.

A bunch of rushing doctors pushed a stretcher past the trio and the Nomicon's behavior changed. It tensed and its left fist clenched around the familiar black and red fabric of the mask.

“That... that was him, wasn't it?” Howard asked, feeling a burst of courage that he didn't know was there. “How is he? Is he...”

Despite Howard being unable to finish, the Nomicon understood. It cast its ancient eyes onto the stout boy and gave a small nod of reassurance. “He will live.”

And for the first time that day, Howard cried in relief upon hearing that everything would be alright.


	4. Heidi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 4am and I spent the whole day with allergy. Please forgive me for any errors there might be

Heidi was not sure how long she had spent in the hospital's waiting room with her brother. Was it five hours, or six? She knew it had been long though, because the sun had gone down long ago and the lights were on.

"No! You _listen_ to me for once!"

When Howard spoke, Heidi snapped out of her thoughts with a jolt of momentary fear. It was so sudden that she slipped, forcing her to grip the backrest of the nearby seat to not fall. Once she steadied herself, she looked at her brother only to notice he was not alone.

"For once!" Howard hissed, lowering his voice so no one would hear him from outside the room. Heidi watched as he pointed a finger at the chest of a man she had never seen before.

"Just for once stop being such a _shoob_! When he wakes up, you will tell him the truth! I don't care if it'll break some wonked up rule ninjas have! You will tell him, because after today he needs to hear it!"

Heidi frowned. She tried to remember when the man in the red shirt and ponytail had walked into the room. Or how her brother knew him at all. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't recall the moment of his entrance.

It was strange, because a man like that couldn't pass unnoticed. He was tall and lanky, making Howard look like a dwarf compared to him. It would have been a funny sight if the man wasn't so imposing despite his slim built.

He had the aura of a capable warrior. Someone that had seen and survived too much. Just like the Ninja.

But Howard wasn't affected. He swung his arms in a wide arc, stopping the man from speaking and making Heidi jump in her seat. The young boy chose to ignore their reactions and took a step forwards. "Don't! No more excuses! No more rules or whatever you people do! For five minutes stop thinking about everything else! I'm sure the world can last a day without you checking up on it every five seconds!"

Heidi sat up straighter and watched her brother with mouth agape. She had seen him upset may times, but never as angry as he was now. It was scary and she gripped the edge of the chair in anxiety.

"Howard!" As soon as her croaked voice left her mouth, Heidi realized the mistake she made. Both the man and her brother were looking at her with a glare that made her blood freeze.

Still, her interruption served to break the tension and the man relaxed a little. "We will speak of this once you are calm of mind."

To Heidi, the man's words seemed to echo off the room's walls for longer than it actually was. She shivered and lowered her head, embarrassed for her earlier outburst.

Howard didn't care about her discomfort. He threw his arms up in the air and let out a loud huff of frustration. "Fine! I'll let it rest for now! But you will think about it!" Howard's finger poked the man's chest twice. "Perhaps it's against the rules or whatever, but he deserve to know the truth!"

Silence fell between the two, but Heidi knew her brother had gained the upper hand. Even if by just a small amount.

The man nodded once. "Very well." His deep voice was softer now. "I will think of this. You have my word."

Pleased with the outcome of their argument, the two parted ways without further words. While the nameless man left the room, Howard stomped his way to his sister and sat next to her. He was muttering under his breath about stupid books, shoobs and stubborn ninjas...

Heidi cast a quick glance at him, then turned her eyes at the entrance of the waiting room. The man had been so quiet in leaving that not even the door had made a sound when it closed behind his back.

"So," she said after a while, hoping that Howard had burned off some of his anger. "Who was that man?"

Howard looked up from the polished pavement and frowned. The displeasure and frustration were well visible on his face. "A shoob," he said with fake calmness. "Or better, the first of a long line of shoobs."

But that was not what Heidi wanted to know and she looked at her brother with a raised eyebrow. She knew that there was more to it. There was no way that Howard would be so angry with some random guy.

She was sure they knew each other.

When the boy realized his answer wasn't enough for his sister, he sighed. "That guy... that shoob..." Howard waved a hand towards the closed door. "I'm not sure how to call him. A teacher? A mentor? When the Ninja has a problem he can't figure out himself, he goes to that guy."

Howard's arms crossed again and the boy slouched in the chair, looking conflicted. "He was supposed to keep the Ninja safe, but... looks at what happened..."

Heidi felt torn. She wanted to comfort her brother, but she also wanted to ask more. After all, she had always thought that the Ninja was a lone warrior. One sworn to protect the city for eight centuries without help.

To think that there was someone else. One sworn to the same duty and aiding the town's hero from the shadows...

Questions filled her mind.

What was the story of this mentor? Where they related? Father and son maybe? Brothers? Or just teacher and student? Where there others like them, hidden in the shadows just like this one had been? Where were they hiding when not fighting?

She wasn't a reporter like Debbie Kang, but she couldn't deny it. This was an interesting story that should not ignored.

"Heidi! Heidi! No!" Howard's face was in front of hers and it was so close that their noses almost touched. "I know that glint in your eyes. You are not going to tell this to anyone! This is not a cheap gossip that you can use for your show!"

At first Heidi felt offended by her brother's assumption. Her gossip was not cheap and everyone in the city loved her reports. But then she remembered the Ninja on the ground, wounded and covered in blood. Unmoving.

Now the masked warrior was under surgery and the city was without protection. It was a delicate situation, and this man already had his hands full without her adding to it.

Yes. Howard was right.

The least she could do to repay the Ninja for his protection was to keep her mouth shut.

At least for now.

 


	5. First Ninja

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's been a while, uh? This is short, I know, but as much as I'd love to write pages and pages for a single chapter (which I used to do in the past), I find myself having an easier time doing smaller pieces. I'll try to write a bit more next, but... no promises there.
> 
> A warning: My fics are not betaed and there is only so much I can do to pick up errors myself.

_Beep... beep... beep..._

The sound of the heart monitor filling the dimly lit room was slow and steady, informing anyone hearing it that the boy connected to the machinery was as stable as his concealed wounds let him. It was an awful sight, to see a lively kid reduced to nothing more than a still body almost entirely wrapped in bandages.

Howard _hated_ it the moment he visited his friend for the first time.

The NinjaNomicon _loathed_ it with a passion it had never felt before in eight hundred years.

The First Ninja simply had no words to describe what he felt every time he cast his gaze onto the unmoving boy.

Guilt, sorrow, pain, rage, hatred...

In his mind, the whirlwind of emotions was not ceasing, having continuously churned and twisted since the time he had seen the kid wheeled out of the operating room in a bed that was too big.

That had been five days ago...

“You are troubled.”

The words were soft spoken, yet they thundered loudly in his ears, forcing the First Ninja to look up at the ancient spirit standing guard next to the door. He was mildly surprised that the Nomicon had chosen to speak straightforward instead of using the words he had written in its pages. It was a somewhat strange, yet appreciated gesture.

“I... feel responsible...” the man replied, casting his brown eyes onto Randy's still form. “I should have prepared him better. I should have been there at his side. Helped him the way he helped me centuries ago. Not hide like a coward and lay all the responsibilities on his shoulders.”

The samurai inclined its head a little to the side, its terrifying mask a great contrast with the small and curious movement. “Alas, you could have not known. Nor you or I could have reached him in time to stop the Sorcerer after we were separated so suddenly. Berating yourself for something that has long passed is... pointless.”

A small smile graced the man's face for a moment, casting away the sour look he had gained while thinking about the 'what ifs'. “I should have been better prepared,” he replied, his smile turning bitter for a moment before it disappeared into a tired neutrality. “But you are right. Thinking about what I could have done will not help us in the future. Still, the wish remain and I cannot cast it away so easily.”

“Understandable,” the spirit replied calmly, as if it already knew every single twist the First Ninja's emotional turmoil was taking. “Despite your best efforts to maintain a strictly professional relationship, you have grown very fond of him.”

The man cringed, turning his gaze away from the NinjaNomicon and feeling like he had been caught doing a terribly wrong thing. “You still have not recovered,” he whispered, trying to keep his voice steady despite the heavy lump that had formed in his throat. “You should rest. You are sustaining both of us, after all.”

The blatant change of subject did not go unnoticed by the samurai, but the ancient spirit decided to let it go for now, knowing that everything was still too fresh to be addressed with a clear mind. “Master Norisawa,” it said, standing away from the door and taking silent steps towards the bed. Its figure fizzled out of existence a couple of times and red strands of smoke curled around its form. “Howard Weinerman's words might have been harsh to you, but they spook the truth. For once, you can let yourself be selfish. The world will not perish.”

“It is not wise...” the last of the Norisu clan whispered in a vain effort to avoid the confrontation with the younger ninja for as much time as he could. “It will change everything.”

There were a few moments of silence as the Nomicon continued to fade from sight. “Perhaps,” it eventually conceded with a single nod of its armored head. “But not always it is for the worse.”

As the spirit retreated from the world and returned to be a seemingly inert book on the nearby table, Satoru was left alone with his still churning thoughts. Torn between revealing everything and keeping secrets, he sat down on the chair in the corner and cradled his head in his hands to think and wait.

 


	6. Theresa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly Reminder: My works are not betaed. Errors and weird things will happen. Please, do forgive me. (I'm still learning)

As she stepped inside the Norrisville General Hospital, Theresa realized that she hadn't been the only one to have the idea of bringing a gift to their injured hero. The lobby, usually a place of passage, was brimming with people of all ages and social standing. Some were huddled together, some stood alone, and a few were speaking with the occasional nurse unfortunate enough to be free of any other duty.

Despite the crowd, however, it was very calm and quiet, and the only thing that she could hear were the whispers coming from those in her immediate vicinity. It was an indistinct sort of buzz, and rarely she could catch something that was understandable.

A young nurse weaving through the crowd caught her attention, and Theresa reached for her arm as soon as the woman was within range. “Excuse me,” she said timidly once she had her attention. “Are all these people... here for the Ninja?”

“They are,” the nurse replied, perhaps a bit too harshly than intended. When she realized her own mistake, she gave a deep sigh and smiled kindly. “They all bring stuff for him, but orders are to not allow anyone to see the Ninja. So we just take the gifts and either store them or hand them over to patients who really needs them. The kids in the child ward have been having a blast since the moment the plushies came in.”

Theresa was impressed by the amount of things the Norrisvillians were pouring into the hospital for a single person. Granted, it was their hero and he had gotten hurt to save them, but there had always been a tendency to take his presence for granted. He had always been there, always appeared when needed. For eight hundred years, he had always stood strong against the dangers thrown at them.

Apparently, after seeing him almost die in front of their own eyes, they had all gotten a wake up call and felt the need to repay him somehow.

A small get-well card suddenly felt pathetic compared to some of the things she could glimpse in the crowd.

Still, she was there, and she would rather deal with her embarrassment than go home and get a told-you-so from Debbie. She loved her best friend, but sometimes the girl was more frustrating than encouraging.

“I...” Theresa paused and wet her lips, and took the moment to muster all the courage she could find hidden in the darkest recesses of her soul. She reached into her bag and grasped at the card she had spent countless hours to find the right words for, then held it out into the open for the nurse to see. “I was hoping to give this to the Ninja, but...”

She waved a hand around the lobby, motioning to the people that were there for her same reason. There was no way she could go to the Ninja directly, and guessing by the amount of visitors, she would have to wait hours to hand in her tiny gift to someone that would be allowed to see him.

The nurse understood her plight, and smiled more genuinely than when she had first been stopped. “Yes, this will take a while,” she said. “Citizens have arrived since early morning, and they still do. There are some people that will come to collect the gifts from time to time, so you should wait for them if you want to hand in yours.”

Theresa blushed and fought the need to look down at her feet. “T-thank you,” she whispered. “For helping me. You must be really busy and I stopped you and...”

The woman stopped the rambling girl with a wave of her hand and a gentle laugh. “Think nothing of it, young miss.” She winked amicably and placed a comforting hand on Theresa's shoulder. “But you are right. I am busy. I'll have to leave you here on your own. I hope your message gets to the Ninja soon. He needs the support.”

Theresa felt comforted by the nurse's words, but at the same time she felt horribly worried. If he needed their support, even if just words of encouragement, then it meant that he was worse than the doctors had said. “Yeah, he does...” the girl whispered to herself as she watched the young woman walk away.

She was left alone in a sea of unknown people, clutching the card to her chest in a desperate attempt to not fall into despair. She had to hope for the best. Hope that the Ninja would pull through this like he did with every enemy he faced. He would get up from the bed, walk into the lobby and boast to the world that he was perfectly fine. That he was ready to face that green demon again, and that the monster should show his ugly face soon or he would--

“ _Fowler!?_ ”

The surprised voice coming from behind her made the girl snap out of her mental ramblings. She turned around, in a way that only a baton twirler like her knew how to do, and came face to face with a very familiar boy.

“ _Howard!?_ ”

Meeting Howard at the hospital was a surprise, and Theresa found herself gaping at boy in front of her. He looked like he hadn't slept well in days, disregarding even some of his personal hygiene, and was holding a bag full of food from the cafeteria that was far from being healthy.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. Her hands unconsciously clutched more at the card, as if wanting to protect it from the boy's searching gaze. “Shouldn't you be with Randy?”

Mentioning her crush brought a blush to her cheeks that was only muted by her current shock. Those two were always together, no matter what was going on. To see one without the other was unexpected and Theresa wondered where the taller boy was. She couldn't see him anywhere within the crowd.

“What are _you_ doing here?” Howard asked back, ignoring her questions in favor of his. “Shouldn't you be... I don't know... practicing with that baton of yours?”

The girl's shock died away and was replaced by indignation. “Howard, school was canceled, remember?” Theresa felt her eyebrows flatten into an unamused expression. “It's completely destroyed and everyone is just too... well, after all that happened, they decided to resume school next week in one of those emergency tents until the building is rebuilt.”

She still couldn't believe that the green demon had been living in a hole right under their school. A prison, he called it, and had blamed the Ninja for his eight hundred years of imprisonment. No one knew exactly how he had gotten out, but he did and had unleashed his centuries old wrath onto their hero.

“Whatever.” Howard was blatantly ignoring Theresa's worry, preferring to check out that everything in his bag was in order. “Like I care...”

It was quite surprising that the boy was so dismissive of the news. Usually, he and his best friend would jump at the occasion, and go somewhere to goof off. But again, the Ninja was injured, and the two had proclaimed themselves as his number one fan. It would be perfectly normal for them to be so downcast.

Although, Theresa still couldn't see Randy...

“Hey Howard,” she called for the boy's attention while her eyes still scanned the crowd. “Where's Randy? You two are always together...”

Perhaps it was the wrong thing to ask, because Howard's mood took a turn for the worse. He became moodier, his frown deepened, and his hand became white when he tightened his grip on the bag.

“He's not here, obviously!” the boy snapped back, almost angry at being asked something that was supposed to be clear as day. “Off somewhere in Flacksville, with his dad or something! He never explained it over the phone! And I can't even call him back because his phone is dead now!”

Theresa took a step back, afraid of the suddenly belligerent kid standing in front of her. “I... I don't remember him ever mentioning a father...”

Howard's death glare intensified, only to be gone after a moment that seemed to stretch into hours. “It's... yeah. He never mentioned one,” he murmured, looking away. “Funny, uh? I'm his best friend, and only now I get to know this...”

It sounded too strange to be real. Randy and Howard seemed to be the kind of guys that told each other everything, or at least the most important things. That the taller boy never told his best friend of his dad sounded more fishy the more Theresa thought about it.

“Look, that's not important right now,” Howard said. He gave a wave with his free hand and seemed to recover his usual behavior from wherever it had gone in the past minute or so. “I can deal with this when Cunningham is back from his little journey to that stupid city. You, however, still have to tell me why you are here. Visiting relatives?”

Theresa frowned and wondered if the boy was purposefully adverting all the attention onto her motives to be there rather than his. “Well... I...”

Before she could give an answer, however, Howard's 'dainty' hand reached forward and grabbed at the card she was holding. The movement was so fast that all she could do was to stare as her carefully written message was revealed to his eyes.

“Ninja, I'm sure you don't remember me,” Howard read flatly. It was as if he was either bored or unimpressed. “But you have saved me many times. My thoughts are with you. Get well soon, Theresa Fowler.”

Theresa felt a huge amount of heat rise to her face, and when the boy looked at her, she couldn't help but look down. She had spent so much time on those words, and she knew that they were simple, but they still were something that came from her heart. “Yeah,” she mumbled. “It's for the Ninja.”

The boy in front of her snorted loudly. “Smooth, Fowler. Smooth.” He waved the card into the air so close to her nose that he almost hit her with it. “What is it, you got a crush on the Ninja like the rest of the city?”

“I... what? No! I mean...” The girl tried to grasp at any valid reason to counter Howard's assumptions. “I just wanted to show I cared. He's here because he protected us. Is it wrong? Besides, I... like someone else?”

The frown on the boy's face told Theresa that he wasn't fully convinced, and there was no way that she was going to reveal having a huge crush on a boy to said boy's best friend. She would never hear the end of it, both from Howard and Debbie. And everyone else if the word spread the way it usually did in a school environment.

“Uh uh,” Howard replied, dropping the card into his bag along with the food. “Sure Fowler. Sure. You believe that. Everyone's got a crush on the Ninja. All that mystery and ninja-skills... girls go nuts for that.”

Theresa wanted nothing but to defend herself against the harsh words. She wanted to say that she only admired the Ninja, not that she loved him. There was a huge difference between admiring and loving, and that just because she had tried to send a message to the warrior it didn't mean that she was head over heels for him.

But Howard also had a point. For being so famous, the Ninja was a mystery. He was a skilled warrior and athlete, he could use magic while others couldn't, and he seemed to always know what to do and when to do it. Basically, there was a lot to like of him, and nothing to not.

“Whatever, Fowler. I gotta go now.”

Howard's voice sounded somewhat distant, and when the girl looked up from the spot of floor she had been staring at, she noticed that the boy was walking away without caring about her. She stared at his back for a while, almost mesmerized, then realized that the boy still had her card with him.

“Howard! Wait!”

But the moment she raised her voice to be heard over the subdued cacophony of the lobby, the boy was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I got Theresa down decently, and she's not too OOC...


End file.
